Senate Democrats appeared to throw in the towel last week, posting an “in memoriam” video tribute to infrastructure week that shows White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders casting doubt on the potential for a bill this year.

“I don’t know that there will be one by the end of this year. Certainly, the administration, as you mentioned, secured some funding for infrastructure projects,” Sanders said last week when asked about the likelihood for an overarching piece of legislation.

“We’re going to continue to look at ways to improve the nation’s infrastructure. But in terms of a specific piece of legislation, I’m not aware that that will happen by the end of the year,” she added.

The press secretary’s remarks added to growing pessimism that Congress can put together and pass a large package aimed at rehabilitating America’s roads, bridges and airports, something Trump had identified as a priority for his first term.

“As far as I know, it’s been shredded, or burned, or something. It doesn’t exist,” DeFazio said Wednesday of the president’s rebuilding blueprint.

The White House plan, unveiled in February, was meant to provide lawmakers with a framework to craft legislation. But it quickly met opposition from Democrats, who argued the administration’s emphasis on funding from the private sector and state and local governments was the wrong approach to infrastructure.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle immediately questioned how to pay for the president’s proposal, which calls for $200 billion in federal money with the goal of sparking a $1.5 trillion investment by incentivizing private and local investors.

“I told the president that — when I was at the White House — if he wants a bill, he’s got to push the Republican leadership for funding. He didn’t. They won’t. That’s it. Done. Dead,” he said.

While members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have long clamored for an extensive infrastructure package, Republican leadership has shown no appetite for pursuing additional legislation.

Ryan in March said the president’s plan would come about in “five or six different bills,” throwing cold water on the push for a comprehensive overhaul.

But the Speaker at the time referenced legislation Congress must address, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization, which the House passed last month. The Senate is currently preparing its own version of the FAA bill.

Ryan also pointed to the omnibus spending package, a must-pass piece of legislation, and the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a biennial water resources bill, as examples of action on infrastructure. The Senate last week released its water infrastructure legislation and the House is slated to introduce its own version in the coming days.

A senior House GOP aide told The Hill that lawmakers are still preparing the water resources bill and further movement on infrastructure would likely come either later in the year or in early 2019.

“It may be segments similar to WRDA and FAA versus a larger package, but that is to be determined,” the aide said.

“It’s major money for the states, increased money for the states that, in essence, goes to their formula, whether it’s highways, whether it’s bridges,” said Diaz-Balart, who said he still hopes there will be another bill.